SriSwami appeared in the dream of the archaka of Moolavrindavana SriRamacharya. He said, ‘My utsav vrindavana is in the Gadhwal province. Go, get it!’ When SriSwami ordered thus, SriRamacharya gathered SriSwami’s mrittika-mantra-akshata, prasad and some eatables to carry along for the journey and left for Gadhwal. There was something curious happening at Gadhwal. The King’s Son there was being bothered by a worm that had bored a hole into the boy’s back. Unable to bear the pain the prince used to keep yelling, but thinking that poisoning the worm would harm the prince the Rajavaidya had devised another solution. Every night a large quantity of fresh sweet would be tied to the back in a cloth. The worm would come out to eat that sweet and after finishing it would withdraw inside to bother the prince. The prince would sleep peacefully till the worm went out to eat the sweet. The moment the prince started whining, it would mean the worm had finished the sweet and it was time to tie the sweet again. In the meanwhile SriRamacharya reached Gadhwal upon SriSwami’s orders. He told them, ‘do not tie the sweet today’, and made a neat paste out of SriSwami’s mrittika, rolled it into a ball and tied it to the prince’s back. Everybody was anxious and worried as to what would happen. It was strange that the prince did not whine even after the morning arrived. They were all used to the prince’s whining every morning and when they did not hear him cry that day, they felt something terrible had happened and looked at the Rajavaidya with fear and surprise. But the prince was sleeping without any pain. The Rajavaidya was wondering what happened and carefully opened the cloth on the back. He found a three foot- long worm dead in the middle of the mud-pack (mrittika-ball). What happened was the worm mistook the mud for sweet at night and got caught in it and died when it came out to eat.
Seeing his son rid of the problem thanks to Sri Swami’s grace, the king was eager to present the archaka of the Moolavrindavana SriRamacharya with plentiful gold and riches etc. But SriRamacharya stopped him and told him that he was there only upon SriSwami’s orders and that he would leave if he were given the Utsava- swami’s vrindavana that was kept in the palace. He added that he did not have permission to take anything else. Accordingly he brought back the utsavaswami’s vrinda- vana given by the King and kept it at his home and offered pujas to it with great devotion. On special occasions and festive days he would take it and keep it next to SriSwami’s moolavrindavana and perform the pujas. After some time he felt why not place it in the presence of SriSwami always and peform pujas. In any case, his own descendants would always be the archakas at the moolavrindavana. Accordingly, he brought in the utsavaswami’s vrindavana, placed it next to SriSwami and made it a custom to perform pujas. We can see that utsavamurti in front of the moolavrindavana even today.
2) One Khandelkar of Pune lost his voice all of a sudden. He informed this to his friend Pappu through a letter. Pappu was a close devotee of SriSwami. He mentioned SriSwami’s greatness and said, ‘you perform sevas to SriSwami’. As per his “advice Khandelkar devotedly chanted SriSwami’s name in his mind, for 21 days endlessly at the end of which SriSwami appeared in his dream and wrote the bijakshara on his tongue.
Next day when Khandelkar began the name chant, he was able to speak. He informed Pappu of this development and arranged a special puja, hastodaka etc. at his home and expressed his gratitude to SriSwami.
3) SriSwami used to appear to one Benkappa of Lachmari village every Thursday owing to his punya from earlier birth and enquire about his welfare. He would convey people’s wishes to SriSwami and pass on the favour answered to them. One Venkannacharya requested for a darshana of SriSwami. Benkappa passed the request to Sri Swami. He told Benkappa that
Venkannacharya would not have that fortune in this life, but SriSwami would appear in his dreams. Accordingly, Venkannacharya began to convey the distress that devotees were in, to SriSwami in his dreams everyday and take his answers. He came to be later known as Swapnada Venkannacharya (Venkanna of Dreams).
SriBhuvanendra was a sage in the seventh generation in SriSwami’s tradition. He asked Benkappa to arrange SriSwami’s darshana. As per his desire Benkappa informed him of the time SriSwami would appear and asked to sit in waiting. But SriBhuvanendra fell asleep after he heard the sound of SriSwami’s padukas. When Benkappa woke him up saying SriSwami is stepping into the vrindavana, all he could see was the shati which SriSwami had across his shoulders. SriBhuvanendra had to be content with only that.
4) SriVyasatattvagnya had taken ashram from SriBhuvanendra. When SriVyasatattvagnya developed an interest in Sudha, the disciples asked him to look into Parimala. But he ignored it thinking what would be there in the mookatippani. SriSwami appeared in his dream and said, ‘Pull out and study Mookatippani’. Accordingly he pulled out Parimala and was surprised when he studied it. SriVyasatattvagnya sought pardon for his mistake. Later he expressed a desire to perform puja by touching SriSwami’s vrindavana. It seems that same night ^ri Swami appeared in his dreams and said, ‘Do not wish to move about on my head. Only the archakas who are like my sons may move about on my head’. Is this not a great grace showered upon the archakas (pujaris) by SriSwami?
5) Sri Bhimsen Joshi, famously known as Sangeet Samrat in our country, owing to his melodious singing, hails from an orthodox Vedic family in Gadag. While his father desired that he (Bhimsen) should become a great philosopher, Bhimsen had an earnest desire to become famous as an unparalleled singer. The staunch and strict father did not like the dramatics and singing of the son. Unable to bear the restrictions placed on him Bhimsen ran away to Pune and joined Sawai Gandharva to begin learning music. He became famous wherever he performed with his guru as an unparalleled disciple. Sawai Gandharva was upset with this fame and threw out Bhimsen in anger. Having learnt only some five-six ragas Bhimsen would not go home and was deeply distressed not knowing what to do. In desperation he decided to surrender to their Kulaguru and came to SriSwami at Mantralaya. He said, ‘O Gururaj! You please become my Guru in the art of singing’, and began his service. As a couple of weeks passed, a singer appeared in Bhimsen’s dream, exposed him to a new raga and ordered him to practice. Bhimsen would go to a remote forlorn spot near the river and practice his raga. A dog would always come and sit in front of him. The moment he finished his singing practice the dog would go away. After about a week of such practice, the singer would appear again in the dream and teach Bhimsen a new raga. After a few years of such practice, Bhimsen learnt of Sawai Gandharva’s fiftieth year birthday celebration where all his disciples were to come together and hold a great concert. When he went to the function Sawai Gandharva ignored him. Even then after all the disciples had sung Bhimsen requested for an opportunity to sing. Sawai Gandharva conceded thinking, ‘let us see what he has to offer; and Bhimsen repeated the ragas he had learnt from SriSwami in his dreams. The surprised Sawai Gandharva, upon seeing that his own disciple had been trained into an expert by SriSwami, surrendered before him. Is this not SriSwami’s compassion?
6) An Indian couple by name Mythili were living in California, USA. They had a baby of golden colour. There was a small black dot on the boy’s body. The dot slowly grew to cover the entire body and the boy turned completely black. The best of American doctors gave up after trying and losing hope. The boy’s mother wrote to her father in Bangalore about this problem. Her father Sunderrao Manav, who was a great devotee of SriSwami, had immense faith in the principle that even the impossible can be made possible, with divine intervention. He sent SriSwami’s mrittika to his daughter and asked her to place it before SriSwami’s picture, offer prayers and apply water with mrittika on the boy’s body. When she followed this for some days, the boy miraculously got better than before and had a glowing golden skin colour. When the American doctors learnt of this, they tried to analyse the mrittika, but could only say, ‘It is nothing but a brick of soil’. How can ordinary men realise the greatness of mrittika?
7) SriSujayindratirtha had developed a cataract and his eyesight had become very poor. In those days science had not made so much progress. The doctors suggested that an immediate surgery should be carried out.
But surgery would mean no bathing over the head for 4 to 6 days. The doctors were worried how to handle the situation as a sanyasin is required to bathe 3-4 times a day. One night worrying about this problem the doctor slept after offering prayers to SriSwami. That night he dreamt of a dark sanyasin having come and shown how to hold the surgical instrument for surgery and having ordered to administer a certain medicine. Delighted at this dream, Dr. Prahladraya informed Dr. Srinivas. The surgery was carried out just as shown in the dream.
8) Bhimsen Vishwamitra had once visited Mantra- laya and Chippagiri when he was very young. He had nurtured great devotion for SriSwami from his childhood and would chant SriSwami’s stotra everyday without fail. It was 40 years since he had the fortune of visit to Mantralaya and SriSwami’s darshana. He was totally immersed in SriSwami’s devotion. His mother used to pray to SriSwami that he should give darshana to her son. After several days of such prayer and intense request SriSwami was pleased and responded to the devotee. He appeared in the dream of Bhimsen who was studying SriSwami’s compositions. Bhimsen left for Mantralaya the very next day and when he stood in Mantralaya before SriSwami’s vrindavana, he heard the words, ‘So, you have come. Now take this’.
Bhimsenacharya spread his palms and from nowhere- gandha-mantra-akshata fell onto them. His happiness knew no bounds. He stayed there for several days and offered seva and returned home after the guru permitted him.
9) Mundargi Venkannacharya had lost his eyesight after looking at a solar eclipse directly. He was introduced to Adya Keshavacharya who advised him to apply SriSwami’s mrittika to the eyes everyday. After applying mrittika daily and remembering SriGururaja he got back his eyesight. He also got a certificate from the doctors that saved his job. This incident happened after completion of 300 years of SriSwami entering vrindavana.
10) Kembhavi of Hubli who owned a Fertiliser company was a great devotee of SriSwami. He had made it a habit to relate stories of SriSwami’s greatness to his wife everyday, whether she liked it or not. Once, a young bull, growing up in their backyard, was bitten by a snake. Kembhavi was not home at that time. His wife courageously washed her hands and cleaned up for SriSwami’s devotion. She prayed that the bull be saved by SriSwami’s greatness and made it drink some water from SriSwami’s mrittika. The bull survived the snake bite. The veterinarian who came later was surprised to see the effect of SriSwami’s mrittika. The lady’s devotion to SriSwami was redoubled. This event happened in 1959.
11) R. K. Joshi of Solapur was a non-believer. In 1936 when he had gone to a felicitation programme he ate the festive food. But he threw up immediately. His health was upset. The doctors gave up hope. His parents were in a hapless state. That was when a friend advised him to go to Mantralaya and said that SriSwami would save him.
Although he was a non-believer Joshi went to Mantralaya on a Thursday upon his friend’s insistence.
When everybody went for their lunch he stayed out, saying that he would throw up if he ate. But people insisted that he should eat the prasad and forceftdly fed him. Surprisingly, he did not throw up. That night he attended the mangalarati. He ate some fruits and drank milk yet he did not throw up. He was pleased beyond description. He had not even bowed once before SriSwami. That night a brahmana appeared in his dream and asked, ‘What do you say, do you believe in God at least now? You have been cured now.’ His parents were most pleased because their non-believer son had been graced by SriSwami and turned into a believer.
They did not want their son to leave them and go abroad. When they prayed to SriSwami that their son should not go abroad, SriSwami suggested that he would get the boy to stay here and attract fame and status. Later Joshi became a famous advocate, Munsiff and later District Magistrate. He was famous and among the most illustrious devotees of SriSwami.
12) Kudutini Rangacharya’s son had a defect in the leg. As the boy grew up he was unable to walk. In 1952 when they checked out a Nadi Grantha at the Daivagnya’s they found a blessing which said that chanting the shloka devotedly for 21 days will attract SriSwami’s benevolence.
At that time SriSuyamindratirtha was the pithadhi- pati. When he had come to Bhadravati, Rangacharya
Sri Raghavendra Swami
brought him home and informed him about the Nadigrantha. He blessed the family with mantra-akshata. They went to Mantralaya where they devotedly served for 21 days. SriSwami was pleased with them. He touched the boy’s legs with his divine hands and disappeared.
From the very next day the boy started walking slowly and in a few days was able to run. Rangacharya’s joy knew no bounds. He told everybody of SriSwami’s greatness and returned to Bhadravati with phala-mantra- akshata.
13) In a small village called Sankalagiri near Channapattana lived a youth by name Ramashastri. His uncle was devoted to Datta and had acquired some evil powers. Ramashastri ate some prasad given by his uncle that turned him dumb. One year passed. Vaidyas suggested he seek help from SriSwami.
In the year 1950 many people had come, offered services at Mantralaya and returned to their respective villages singing praises of SriSwami’s benevolence. Ramashastri stayed for long and served but did not get any result. He wanted to give up his life in the river in desperation. One day as he bathed in the Tunga-Bhadra river and was staring at SriSwami’s vrindavana he saw a strange glow appearing from the vrindavana. There on a jewel-studded throne, equipped with danda, kamandalu and shati was the brilliant form of the great young sage. Upon seeing the amazing visual, Ramashastri exclaimed in surprise, ‘Gururaja!’ All devotees were surprised to hear the dumb Shastri talk. Truly, Ramashastri who managed to get the darshana of SriSwami was very fortunate.
14) Venkatarao Hanji used to be in village Kaladgi of Bijapur district in the year 1953. He developed a brief illness after which he lost his voice. Almost a year passed without any recovery. A devotee of SriSwami told him about SriSwami’s greatness and advised him that offering service to him would truly treat his problem of dumbness. Following this Venkatrao came to Mantralaya and offered a Mandala Seva. SriSwami was pleased with the total devotion with which Venkatrao offered the seva. Venkatrao got back his voice and could again speak fluently. Is there anything more important than being able to speak? Venkatrao’s joy knew no limits. Sri RaghavendraVijay’s statement that a dumb person will also begin to speak like a thousand hooded Sheshanag with SriSwami’s grace, is absolutely true.
15) Ramarao of Saundatti used to live in Bangalore. His son Narasimhamurthy worked as senior marketing executive in a company at Kolkata. He was diagnosed with a heart problem. Doctors opined that a surgery was necessary.
He agreed to go into surgery’ with no other option. His mother Sharadamma was much worried and surrendered to SriGururaja. In her dream she happened to visit Mantralaya where the Pujari told her that prasad would be given later that day as SriSwami had gone visiting a hospital. She then saw a visual where SriSwami had gone to Vellore Hospital, and that she sat waiting before she got the prasad.
Later when Shardamma actually went to the Vellore hospital which she had never seen before, she was surprised to find it exactly like the hospital she had seen in her dreams and then realised that it was SriSwami’s blessing. The doctors went through the long surgery and were surprised that it went off very easily. Narasimha- murthy was treated for 40 days and later came to Bangalore. He lives happily after performing hastodaka and charity in the Seetapati Agrahara.
16) A poor man used to visit Mantralaya to offer services so that he could get a lot of wealth. Once in his dreams a Brahman a appeared to say, ‘Take away whatever you see when the temple doors open tomorrow’. When he pleaded with the Pujaris to convince them, they finally agreed. Next day when they opened the doors they saw a huge snake.
The Pujaris asked him to take it. But the poor brahmana was scared and stood away. The snake slithered into a hole. The brahmana mustered courage and threw a cloth into the hole, grabbed and pulled out. He got a handful of gold. Ultimately his joy knew no bounds.
17) A non-believer youth who was fascinated with modernity came to Mantralaya only because his friends forced him. He entered the main gate with his footwear on. Whoever saw, told him not to do that, but he was adamant and went in with the footwear. He immediatelv
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felt a scorpion sting. There was no scorpion in his footwear yet he was feeling the sting of scorpion. His well- wishers were tired of explaining to him this fact. The youth was scared that SriSwami was angered with him and that something else would happen if he went in. He quickly stepped out of the matha and returned to his town.
Many people come from all over the world for SriSwami’s darshana. Some say, ‘We visit Mantralaya every year without fail’. But even after years of wait they do not get the fortune of SriSwami’s darshana. The credit that is to be achieved in being called by SriSwami and blessed with a darshana with seva being accepted and then collecting the fruit, is possible only with earlier puny a. Those are the true chosen devotees.
18) The vidwan SriVenkatanarasimhacharya of village Venisomapur who was an expert in all shastras was not blessed with a child for many years. He was growing old. Knowing from SriSwami’s stotra which says ‘vandhyasuputrapradah’ – one who blesses even a barren woman with a good son – he came to SriSwami and offered sevas most devotedly with a yearning for a child. SriSwami was pleased and appeared in his dreams, gave mantra-akshata and blessed him. Soon he was blessed with a boy child. The boy was brilliant and became an expert in Madhwashastra. Later he was ordained in to sanyasa by SriBhuvanendratirtha and attained fame as S ri Vy asatattvagny at i rtb a.
19) Bhimacharya of Kallur had learnt grammar etc. from his father and had become famous after studying philosophy from SriVyasatattvagnyatirtha. Where there is knowledge, there should be humility. But the acharya had brought in his ego as an effect of his previous birth.
He travelled from one place to another and would show off his intellect to silence everybody. Even when SriVyasatattvagnyatirtha told him that this is not a proper thing to do, he would not change. Once Bhimacharya went to Mantralaya. A discourse on Sudha was in progress there. He ignored it and started his pradakshina and gruffly commented, ‘You are explaining the statement wrongly’. The Pundit who was conducting the discourse on Sudha quietly said, ‘O Acharya! This is Parimalacharya’s statement’. To this when Bhimacharya replied, ‘So what if Parimalacharya has made this statement; he too could have made a wrong statement’, the pundits and people present there were very angry. They looked at the one who was talking such rot about SriSwami and said, ‘Acharya, whatever you say; but we have learnt a little from SriSwami and have been maintaining what was told. May the Guru bless you’.
Just then SriSwami appeared in the dream of the Shanbhog of Garaladinni and told him, ‘Tomorrow Mandavya Rishi will be here, honour him’. Next day when Bhimacharya arrived he treated him very well. When Acharya was about to leave, the Shanbhog told him, ‘SriSwami had told me in my dream that Mandavya Rishi will be here and I should serve him well’.
Bhimacharya who was ashamed at this went to his village and slept at the bank of the lake, never to wake up. He lost his life, and ended up as a Brahmarakshas for having spoken ill about SriSwami. He went to his guru SriVyasatattvagnyatirtha and prayed for deliverance. The guru said, ‘Only SriSwami can protect you’, and so saying he sprinkled mantrodaka while chanting SriSwami’s stotra on the Brahmarakshasa. Bhimacharya’s soul was released from that state.
20) There was an advocate by name C. N. Bhati at Pune. He used to handle cases for the Matha and was a close devotee of SriSwami. His son was afflicted by Pneumonia. The fever was so high that the boy was writhing in pain and became bedridden. That was when a strange thing happened. On the wall facing the boy’s bed was a picture of SriSwami. The boy’s vision was focussed at the picture. Of a sudden, it appeared as if SriSwami had come out of the picture and sat on the cPuch in the room. The boy quickly folded his hands in salutation. He heard SriSwami say, ‘Don’t worry. By tomorrow afternoon your fever will subside and you will normal like before’.
After a while, when his father came in, the boy told him of this happening. He ignored it thinking that the boy was hallucinating in the fever. But when the boy sat up hale and hearty the next afternoon he was most pleased. Once SriGururaya’s grace happens, all troubles will certainly vanish.
21) At Kotteyuru town in Ramanadu district of Tamilnadu used to live a millionaire Ramanathashetty. This person, who had all the wealth, developed a stomach ache. He spent money left and right to find a cure. But instead of getting cured, his condition began to worsen. He was grief-stricken. Doctors told him that only a surgery could cure him. He was scared of the surgery and thinking he would not be able to face it, rejected the idea.
The situation became grim and be was bedridden. His close friends had just visited Mantralaya. They suggested that a visit to SriSwami would be beneficial. To the Shetty couple this was like finding an oasis in a desert. That very moment they remembered SriSwami and offered pujas and seva to his picture.
One day SriSwami appeared in the dreams to both of them and said, ‘Get ready for surgery tomorrow, I am with you’. The nexf day he went to the Doctor and said, ‘I am ready for the surgery’. But the doctor was hesitant, as it was almost four months since Shetty had last visited the hospital. The doctor was not confident that any treatment would help. Both Shetty and his wife assured the doctor that they would be responsible even if surgery failed and led to death. They even signed documents to that effect. The doctor then reluctantly performed the surgery and was surprised. It turned out much easier than they all had expected. The Shettys were greatly pleased and returned home in good health.
But the joy was short-lived. The stomach-ache
returned. SriSwami ‘again appeared in the dreams and said, ‘Your ailment is old. It will need several surgeries. But do not worry you will get well’. Accordingly Shetty had to go through several surgeries before he was fully cured. In thanksgiving, Shetty committed that he would visit Mantralaya and offer a silver chariot to SriSwami.
It was during World War II times and Shetty’s long ailment had adversely affected his business. His commitment was delayed but when he ended up making good profits, he immediately got a Silver Chariot made and expressed his gratitude by presenting it to SriSwami.
22) Venkatsubbarao was a god-fearing retired judge. His daughter had a dream where it appeared as if somebody said, ‘Your elder brother is a victim of voodoo by your maternal uncle, and I shall cure him in a fortnight’. In 20 days from that dream there were changes seen in that boy. He soon started behaving like a mad-man. The father, though poor in means, decided to courageously fight the situation. He spent 5-6 months in trying to find a psychiatric cure for his son, but in vain. Again Sri Swami appeared in the dream to say, ‘I shall cure him in 15 days’.
They stopped all medication, placed their faith in SriSwami and devotedly offered prayers. The boy was cured in 15 days. After this in a few days Venkatsubbarao developed urinary infection. Doctors said it was incurable. What was the way out? He again depended on SriSwami. SriGururaya appeared in his dream and assured, ‘have no worry for this ailment, you will get well soon’. And so in a few days he was fully cured. The doctors were perplexed. Venkatsubbarao’s faith in SriSwami was redoubled.
23) Narasimhacharya hailing from Coimbatore in Tamilnadu was bedridden with a strange ailment. When the doctors gave up, his wife Kamalabai offered her
mangalsutra in return for her husband’s good health and offered devoted seva to SriSwami. By SriSwami’s grace Acharya began to improve day-by-day. In what was a big surprise for the doctors, he sat up and started walking around in just a week’s time.
When the couple visited Mantralaya to present the mangalasutra, they were aghast to find it missing from the jewel-box. Since they could not find the managal- sutra after a frantic search, they decided to get another one made for offering. They stayed at Mantralaya for three days and bathed in the river daily. On the third day, the lady wanted to take one more chance with the empty jewel-box to see if she could find the mangalsutra. And lo and behold! The mangalsutra was there. The couple was elated beyond words on finding the mangalsutra. – They presented the mangalsutra, which had been lost and ‘“found again only by his grace, to SriSwami.
24) Recently a girl by name Saraswati had been possessed by a Brahmapishaccha (evil spirit). The spirit had decided to destroy her life. When her family planned to take her to Mantralaya, the spirit threatened to kill her if they did so. The parents were terrified. They somehow mustered courage to come to Mantralaya. But Saraswati’s condition worsened. The spirit which was earlier showing only physical signs of presence, began to show tendencies of madness. It would shout through the unconscious girl, ‘I had told you not to come to Mantralaya. You ignored me, now I shall not leave until I have killed this girl’.
Four days passed in the same state. The spirit kept repeating the same threat, T shall kill you today’. The petrified family had no choice and they put all their faith on to SriSwami hoping that he would bail them out of the trouble. Having nothing to do, they decided to while away time playing cards. Generally while playing cards, people get so engrossed in the game that they do not realise what is happening around them. After they finished the game, they realised that Saraswati was missing.
Each one of them started searching for her. One took a boat to the middle of the river shouting her name but to no avail. As they were all returning to their room, they found a scared and shaken Saraswati huddled in a corner. They brought her to the room. When they asked her what had happened, she related her story, ‘When I was asleep some spirit came and woke me up. I fell unconscious on seeing it. When I gained consciousness 1 was lying next to a dilapidated well. The spirit threatened me, ‘I am going to finish you’. Just then a great sanyasi appeared and sprinkled water from his kamandalu on the spirit. The spirit started yelling and was reduced to ashes. ‘You don’t have worry now,’ so saying the sanyasi disappeared. I was just gathering my wits in that forlorn spot when you all found me’.
Her parents were most pleased that SriSwami’s benevolence had been showered on her. They returned *to their town after offering special sevas the next day.
25) Recently in the year 1997 a major homa-havan was underway in our SriGurusarvabhouma Vidyapitha.
The students had been despatched to collect samidha for the homa. The boys had gone close to SriSujayindra- tirtha’s vrindavana where a stone slab was placed precariously. When a boy named Sanjiva got close to that slab, a monkey started chasing him. Scared, the boy stepped on that loose slab and fell down. He had badly hurt his eyes, nose, ears and mouth which were all bleeding. The boy’s condition was serious. He was quickly moved to a large hospital at Kurnool. The doctors said, ‘situation is critical, we cannot say anything for now’.
All those present prayed to SriSwami for relief. The boy’s colleagues conducted an ashtottara-parayana for him. In about a fortnight, with SriSwami’s grace the boy became fit and returned to the Vidyapitha. The doctors were surprised. This is a more recent instance of Sri Swami’s benevolence.
26) I had been transferred to Bagalkot. While I had gone visiting SriNagasampige Matha for aradhana, I met an old friend Shashi Deshpande whom I knew from Pajakakshetra. We were pleased to revive old memories. Soon we met up some five-six times. Later I had to travel to my home town for some reason and was away for almost three months. When I got back I enquired about Shashi only to learn that he had slipped from his stairs and was unable to walk due to the injury.
When I went visiting, I was unable to bear the grief that his parents were struck with. Doctors had told him that the calcium level was too low and that Shashi would not walk for another six months; it was also likely that he may not walk at all after six months. I was worried to learn this. I sympathised with him and told him of the greatness of SriSwami’s padodaka. I suggested that he arrange a Gurustotra Parayana twice a day for one week and apply the padodaka to his legs. In one week’s time Shashi was able to slowly walk.
In the next fortnight when I went to his place, I \\ as pleasantly surprised to learn that Shashi had gone out on an errand riding on his motorcycle. Later in the following summer, Shashi joined us on our trip to Sri Rameshwar.
Thus SriSwami had shown compassion to someone who had been told that he would never walk. SrimadAppannacharya has said in his Gurustotra that a lame person, who heartily offers seva to SriSwami, starts walking. I was a witness to this statement.
27) Look at this strange incident that happened with the grace of SriSwami. Jayatirtha had taken up a job as Guard at the Srimatha. He was trying to find an alliance for his beloved daughter. His wife Kusumabai was an unwavering devotee of SriSwami and always placed faith in him. She brought her daughter’s horoscope for my study and opinion, on when she would get married. She also wanted to know what vrata-pujas she would have to do for success. When I studied the horoscope I had learnt that the marriage was to go through ‘with guru- yoga’. I advised her that if she perfonned a mandala seva to SriSwami he would shower his blessings on her.
Jayatirtha’s kith and kin all worked for SriSwami. Knowingly, unknowingly they used to appear before
SriSwami and offer sevas. In spite of that, Kusumabai was avowed to a seva beginning on an auspicious Thursday. Upto completion of one mandal she would accept SriSwami’s prasad once and eat only one meal, sleeping on the floor. She completed her seva diligently and without fail. SriSwami was impressed with her seva and responded to her request. After her vrata was completed she dreamt of having been visited by a Brahmana with a brilliant face who gave her mantra-akshata.
Shortly a couple arrived from Hubli who had promised to SriSwami that they would contribute Rs. 10,000/- if their work was done after seeing SriSujayindratirtha. But before they left Hubli, they had been instructed in their dream, ‘Contribute Rs. 10,000/- for the wedding of security guard Jayatirtha’s daughter’. Accordingly they came and placed the amount before SriSujayindratirtha, who was surprised. He called for Jayatirtha and enquired. Jayatirtha confirmed that his wife had completed the mandal seva and that she had been blessed with mantra-akshata in her dream.
SriSujayindratirtha not only passed on the amount from Hubli but also blessed him saying, ‘You have received the grace of SriSwami’, and provided him with a subsidised Marriage Hall and all those things required for a wedding from the matha’s store-room. Several others who learnt of SriSwami’s grace vied with one another to help Jayatirtha’s family and made several presentations. The contributions that came from people exceeded Rs. 70,000/- and the wedding went off without a worry. The gratitude expressed by Jayatirtha feeling, ‘Oh what a grace showered on such an ordinary person as L is truly dumbfounding.
This has happened recently in the year 2001. Is this not a benevolence of SriSwami upon those who place faith in him?
28) The Sanjeevarao couple of Bijapur were childless. They tried with several doctors, tried several therapies and treatment but in vain. That was when a devotee suggested they perform seva to SriSwami. The couple came to Mantralaya in August 2005 and performed an unbroken and very severe seva for one week. On the last day in the early hours of Brahmi muhurta a Brahmana appeared in their dream and gave them mantra-akshata. Later within one year the Sanjeevarao couple were blessed with a girl child.
29) A poor devotee was so much burdened by debt that he was on the verge of suicide. But to his great fortune, a devotee of SriSwami came and told him to perform seva to SriSwami. Hfe agreed to this as a last resort thinking that either there will be grace and if not there is the Tunga-Bhadra river where he would commi suicide. He performed a focussed seva for three days to SriSwami. On the last day he dreamt of a Brahmana who had applied nama at twelve places and was equipped with angara-akshata. The brahmana gave him mantra-akshata and blessed, ‘dig in your farm-land. All your problems will be solved’. Accordingly, when he dug deep into this farm-land he struck rich granite. What more is to be said? That devotee was free from all his problems. He was able to earn countless wealth. He expressed his devotion and gratitude for the grace of SriSwami by presenting granite to the temple.
30) The extent of travel that the present Pitha- dhipati SriSushamindratirtha has done is much more than what his guru had done. It could be matter of age, travel fatigue or whatever, SriGuru ended up with a tremendous weakness. In 2006, he fell unconscious and became bedridden. He was immediately moved to an ICU in a hospital at Raichur. His stay of 24 hours with the doctors showed no results. To avoid disruption of the tradition at the matha, a successor was appointed and was named as SriSuyatindratirtha. But the condition of the senior swami deteriorated. All doctors at Raichur recommended that he be moved to Hyderabad. At Mantralaya, the disciples performed SriSwami’s ashtottara with great devotion. They also conducted Dhanavantri Homa, japa, etc. Eventually, with SriRaghavendraswami’s grace, the Pithdhipati returned with good health and ready to perform pujas to SriMoolaramachandra. This indeed was a grace showered by SriSwami upon those who have faith in him.
31) At Mantralaya, whenever the archakas have difficulty in performing pujas due to natural reasons such as death, or additions in the family, that task is taken over by the Puranik family. Prahladacharya, who hailed from such a Puranik family, died suddenly and his son Subrahmanyacharya lost hope. He was now responsible for the wedding of his two younger sisters of marriageable age after his father’s death. He was worried how they would manage. In the meantime, in the month of Sravana the task of Paryayapuja came upon Subrah- manyacharya as the desire of SriSwami. As he was performing his duties devotedly for three days, alliances were settled for both his sisters and marriage was fixed. He was surprised at the grace showered upon him by SriSwami.
In about two months from there, the acharya developed a pain in the throat and a cyst formed on his neck. He began losing health as the days passed. He was examined by Dr. Rajashekar Reddy at the famous Mallya Hospital in Bangalore who diagnosed the cyst as malignant after proper tests. Everybody was aghast and surrendered to SriSwami as the last refuge with great devotion.
Whatever be the case, it was decided after discus- sions among all doctors that a blood sample be sent to a famous hospital at Mumbai. It was sent and everybody waited with bated breath for the results and prayed to SriSwami for succour. Everybody felt relieved when the report arrived and it was declared safe, not malignant. But Dr. Rajashekar Reddy was sure that he had identified malignancy and was most surprised. He conceded that this was SriSwami’s grace indeed upon the acharya.